The Prejudicial Impact of False Abuse Accusations in Divorce and Custody Disputes.

Описание: Child custody disputes between parents (whether in a divorce case or between unmarried parents) are among the most bitterly fought cases, as parents fight over the right to be integral parts of their children’s lives. Many husbands and fathers in such cases often face insurmountable prejudice caused by mothers who make unsupported allegations of spousal and/or child abuse. While protecting vulnerable individuals is a key responsibility of the courts, the unintended consequence of “erring on the side of caution” (a fatuous phrase to use in the law, if ever there was one) is that fathers accused of abuse—without objectively verifiable proof, or at least a preponderance of the evidence to support them—are often treated as guilty until proven innocent. This not only hampers fathers’ ability to secure fair treatment but also emboldens false claims that go unpunished, resulting in a justice system that is knowingly and unrepentantly unjust, and in the name of “the best interest of the child” of all things. This failure of the system demands critical examination and immediate correction.